Effect of distillery spent wash on cytomorphological behaviour of sugarcane settlings

Characteristics of crude and digested spent wash (distillery waste), and effect of their application on cyto-morphological attributes of settlings of eleven genotypes of sugarcane (Saccharum species hybrids) were studied. High concentrations of K, P, S, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu contents and heavy metals were present in crude spent wash as compared to the digested one. Root men stem assay of settlings grown on crude and digested spent wash showed a detrimental effect on mitotic efficiency and also induction of de novo chromosomal aberrations viz, clump formation, chromosome stickiness, laggards and micronuclei formation etc. higher number of chromosomal abnormalities as compared to those of control conditions. Mitotic index of root-meristems of different genotypes showed a decline of 62.65 to 100% in crude spent wash treatment and 36.94 to 90.33% decline in digested spent wash treatments as compared to the control. However, an improvement to the extent of 27.73% was observed in the mitotic activity of root-meristems treated with diluted spent wash (1:5 v/V with water). inhibitory effects of digested and crude spent wash were also visible on bud sprouting and settling height, but 1:5 aqueous dilution of spent wash stimulated the early growth attributes. Such beneficial effects of diluted spent wash were observed in most of the sugarcane genotypes.